We are pleased to announce the Winning Websites for the
2007 American Trails Website Contest. American Trails launched
the first-ever contest to seek out the best websites in the cyberworld
of trails and greenways. We looked for sites that really make trails
come alive, and provide effective information delivery, support volunteers,
and engage the public. In short, we want to showcase ways that advocates
and agencies are making a difference for trails. See how to enter this year's website contest.

We are pleased to bring you the Winning Websites
as well as 55 others nominated for the contest. Visit
these great sites for information, ideas, and inspiration. And take
a look at the previous winners and nominees for 2005-06
and 2002 and 2003
and 2004.

WINNING
WEBSITES for 2007:

COMMUNITY trails
system site (town or county or other local jurisdiction):

San Jose Trails Program helps residents to find a new trail
and participate in planning of the future 100-mile network: www.sjparks.org/Trails

Trail
organization or club website:

Equestrian Land Conservation Resource works to support planning
and management of horse trails and to promote volunteerism and public
involvement: www.elcr.org

PERSONAL
site (for an individual who has developed
a site on his or her own):

Laura Vonk's Missouri Trailblazing provides in-depth information
on Missouri's multi-use trails that are accessible to horseback riders,
all in one place: www.motrailblazing.com

Designated
NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL website:

The Sheltowee Trace provides an interactive map, photos,
and trip reports for the 260-mile designated National Recreation Trail
in KY and TN: www.sheltoweetrace.com/

Trails
on FEDERAL LANDS:

Rampart Range Motorized Management Committee and federal
land managers work together to maintain and preserve OHV opportunities
in the Pike National Forest near Denver: www.Rampartrange.org

Parleys Rails, Trails, and Tunnels Coalition is working to
create the 8-mile Parley's Creek Corridor Trail, connecting Bonneville
Shoreline Trail on the east with Jordan River Parkway Trail in the
Salt Lake Valley: http://parleystrail.org/

TRAILS
TRAINING and education site:

Volunteers for Outdoor Washington trains volunteers to be
stewards of the environment. We partner with land managers to build
trails, restore habitat, and preserve Washington's rich heritage:
www.trailvolunteers.org

Kentucky Rails to Trails Council describes the rail trail
projects in various stages of completion throughout the state, illustrated
with a wealth of photos:: www.kyrailtrail.org

TRAIL
TOUR or virtual visit:

John Gardiner's Nevada County Trail Guide uses Google Maps
and Earth to depict trails in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains:
www.bonc.org/trailguide.htm

Recognition
and promotion of VOLUNTEERISM:

The VOutdoors website's search engine links Colorado volunteers
with opportunities that match their skills and interests, searching
by date, type of work, location and agency or community organization:
www.voutdoors.org/

Books for Hikers: Based on a retired librarian's comprehensive
list of bibliographies for hikers, this site is a must for anyone
wanting to research more about any major trail or trail topic.: http://booksforhikers.com/

TRAVEL
and TOURISM site for trails:

Florida Hikes! includes hike entries with links to Google
maps for driving directions and ease of finding trailheads, and promotes
the author's books that contain comprehensive details about Florida
hiking.s: www.floridahikes.com

Promotion
of trails for HEALTH and PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY:

Montgomery County (MD) Heart Smart Trails includes high-quality
maps to encourage people to take the first step toward a healthier
lifestyle: www.montgomerytrails.org

NOMINATED
WEBSITES for 2007:

~
European Greenways Association gathers all greenways across Europe
for both planners and trail visitors: www.oevv-egwo.org/

~
Wildlife Habitat Council works with companies across America
to certify habitat sites and to promote environmental education as well
as trails on corporate lands: www.wildlifehc.org/

~
Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative is working to improve leadership
and training for trails and outdoor resource stewardship: www.cotionline.org

~
Trailnet Promotes Active Living in St. Louis through bicycle
and pedestrian activities: www.trailnet.org

~
Vermont Trails & Greenways Council works for funding for trail
planning and development, protecting the public rights-of-way, and fostering
good landowner relationships: www.vermonttrailsandgreenways.org/

~
New Hampshire Trails by NH Division of Parks and Recreation's
Bureau of Trails provides information for all types of trails plus liability,
legal, and funding issues: www.NHTRAILS.org

~
NYRiders.Com is a free site enabling riders to contact each other
and find new people to ride with and new places to ride, and hosts riding
events for all kinds of OHV and snowmobile activities: www.nyriders.com

~
Motorized Recreation Council of Wyoming make it easy for enthusiasts
to participate in travel planning on public lands, which make up half
of the land in Wyoming: www.mrcow.org

~
National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council has an extensive
library on bulding and managing sustainable trails, and for kids, the
Adventure Trail on-line game: www.nohvcc.org

~
Ammonoosuc Valley ATV Club of New Hampshire has information about
the local multi-use railtrail, volunteer work, and club events: www.avatv.org/

~
Raven Off-Road Off Highway Vehicle Club (Oregon City, OR) members
volunteer their time and money to improve our trails and communities:
www.ROROHVC.COM

~
Harlan County Ridge Runners ATC Club promotes volunteerism, assisting
over 1200 children witha Christmas ride, and purchased chain saws, first
aid kits, and hand tools to assist in repairing trails and operations
of the Off Road Adventure Park: www.rr.kyoutdoors.com

~
Wheeling Wheelmen involve the community in their bike rides for
both members and non-members: www.wheelmen.com

~
Coalition for the Outdoor Recreation Plan promotes citizen action
to realize the vision of an extensive system of trails and parks in
Sonoma County (CA): www.sonomatrails.org/

~
Sierra Access Coalition provides a unified voice for forest users
with the goal of preserving environmentally-sound routes for public
use in the USFS OHV Route Designation Project in northern CA on the
Plumas and Lassen National Forests: www.sierraaccess.com/

~
The Colorado Trail Foundation cares for The Colorado Trail, managing
all the great volunteers who built and continue to maintain and improve
it: www.coloradotrail.org/

~
Arizona Trail Association covers the 43 segments, or passages,
of the Arizona Trail, each of which are assigned to Segment Stewards:
www.aztrail.org

~
Florida Trail Association provides information about the National
Scenic Trail as well as the Association itself. An interactive calendar
makes it easy to plan activities, a blog covers trail conditions and
news, and the new image library provides hundreds of pictures: www.floridatrail.org

~
Coachella Valley Community Trails Alliance (CA) promotes a trails
and greenways system from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea: www.cvcta.org/

~
Rails to Trails Of The Withlacoochee assists the Florida Dept
of Environmental Protection by helping to develop, maintain, and promote
the Withlacoochee State Trail: www.railstotrailsonline.com/

~
The George S. Mickelson Trail site, sponsored by South Dakota
Div. of Parks and Recreation, links to visitor centers in towns along
the railtrail, shuttle and rental contacts, calendar of events, photos,
and interactive map of the trail: www.MickelsonTrail.com

~
Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail supports an urban trail
through a former industrial area as a key means of connecting Milwaukee
neighborhoods, promoting bicycle commuting, and restoring native habitats:
www.hankaaronstatetrail.org

~
Harmony Trails uses musical instruments built into the trail
in natural settings to renew the spirit and rediscover the soul: www.harmonytrails.com

~
ThumperTalk Forum for motorcycle/ATV enthusiasts now includes
finding places to ride and people to ride with as well as discussion
forums on specific models, tips & repairs, advice from industry experts,
and riding techniques: www.thumpertalk.com/forum/

~
Trails-R-Us includes trail information on a wide variety of topics
from historic heritage corridors to antiques and unique bed and breakfast
inns to the best in bluegrass and BBQ, as well as Wildlife and Birding
Trails: http://trailsrus.com

American Trails would again like to thank John Ansbro
for his extensive research on the dozens of nominated websites for this
contest. He has helped out every year with the website contest. John,
who is a city planner in Evansville, Indiana, also provides us with many
of the news items you'll find on our home page.

What
is the American Trails Website Contest?

Are you proud of your trail-related website? Or do you have a favorite
you'd like to see recognized? Every year American Trails sponsors
the only contest to seek out the best websites in the world of trails
and greenways. For information on contest rules and procedures see
the nominations page for this year's contest.